#and ultimately defends Mickey

[robertreich]

When the KKK Murdered My Childhood Friend 

When the Ku Klux Klan murdered my protector, it made me see the world differently.

I was always the shortest kid in school, which made me an easy target for bullies. To protect myself, I got into the habit of befriending older boys who’d watch my back.

One summer when I was around 8 years old I found Mickey, a kind and gentle teenager with a ready smile who made me feel safe.

Over the years, I lost track of Mickey. It wasn’t until the fall of 1964, my freshman year in college, that I heard what had happened to him.

Several months before, Mickey, whose full name was Michael Schwerner, had gone to Mississippi to register Black voters during what was known as “Freedom Summer.”

On June 21, Michael and two other civil rights workers, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, were arrested near Philadelphia, Mississippi by Neshoba County Deputy Sheriff Cecil Ray Price, for allegedly speeding.

That night, after they paid their speeding ticket and left the jail, Deputy Price followed them, stopped them again, ordered them into his car, and took them down a deserted road where he turned them over to a group of his fellow Ku Klux Klan members. They were beaten, shot at point-blank range, and buried in an earthen dam. Their bodies weren’t found until August 4.

The state of Mississippi refused to bring charges against any of the Klan members. Eventually, the U.S. Justice Department brought federal charges against Price and 17 others.

An all-white jury found seven of the defendants guilty, including Price. Ultimately none would serve more than six years behind bars.

When the news reached me that Mickey, my childhood protector, had been murdered by white supremacists — by violent bullies who would stop at nothing to prevent Black people from exercising their right to vote — something snapped inside me.

I began to see everything differently.  Before then, I understood bullying as a few kids picking on me for being short. Now I saw bullying on a larger scale, all around me. In Black people bullied by whites. In workers bullied by bosses. In girls and women bullied by men. In the disabled or gay or poor or sick or immigrant bullied by employers, landlords, insurance companies, and politicians.

Sixty years after the Freedom Summer murders, America still wrestles with bullies — a rise in hate crimes targeting people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, Jews, and Muslims — new laws restricting the right to vote, banning books, and stripping Americans of reproductive freedoms — leaders who insult and demean people with disabilities, women, and trans kids.

We must never give in to cruelty and violence. It is incumbent on all of us to stand up to bullies and be each other’s protectors.

[elodieunderglass]

It's not really my business, but honestly it feels like it would be advisable to hire a copyright lawyer. Like I don't feel like you're in it for the money, but it might be gratifying to have the guy milking your idea at least have to formally acknowledge you. I think I'd do it just for the peace of mind to know if I've been "legally" wronged or not. Either way, hope you continue to inspire, and live out a peaceful life.

(In reference to this post about the guy who pretends to have invented “Elder Teletubbies,” specifically how he is now kickstarting DnD minis of them.)

Ha, well, it’s all a little tricky I think. I might, hilariously, post on the r/legaladvice Reddit (even though they’re all cops lol) because the only thing I want here is for him to stop selling my “transformative work,” and ideally to stop pretending he invented it (which might be difficult as he appears to fully believe his work is creatively independent.)

I think if anything, my post counts as protected commentary or a transformative work of BBC’s Teletubbies, and I think it’s stinky to profit on that stuff in general (like I’m 190% okay with buying LotR fanart on stickers ! but I wouldn’t dream of trying to publish a fic with the serial numbers filed off. Why?)

I think ultimately I’m not a grifter, I’m a grownup, and I think it’s several levels of eye roll to sell fanart of a tv show on this level. I would be embarrassed to touch money made on that. I’m too fucking scrupulous and artisanal. I have toyed with a silly original novel for funsies since 2019 but keep saying things like, “oh, people will think this is too similar to something else that already exists” as if a silly original novel I write for fun has to somehow pass a Bar of Originality higher than anything salary-writers aim for.

I’m also pretty anti-intellectual-property myself in that leftist sense where I don’t believe people should be acting as if creative works are, like, oil. Like the resource extraction angle of intellectual property freaks me out, I don’t think getting super high-horse and snotty about Magical Brain Property is entirely compatible with the artisanal temperament I personally got going on here. I am like snufkin about this, simply smoking a pipe and making a flower crown saying “poor fools! Producing works for market, and serving as the guard dogs of the market, lest their work lose value if it becomes more common!” I do not have a high horse. I am not going to post 6900 words about the importance of defending fucking… Mickey Mouse. I buy those lotr stickers on Etsy! I do have a horse, but it’s a pretty low horse.

If it was his own work I would not care about this guy doing this in the least (apart from loftily calling it stinky - but hey, nerds are common and nerds are stinky, it’s not rare) IF he wasn’t STEALING FROM MY ANTI-COMMERCIALISATION DREAM TO DO IT.

That’s the bit that PISSES ME OFF too much to ignore: that and accepting compliments for being original like 😌 yes my twisted mind did this idk lol.

Like if you asked him point blank about the artistic choices he’d be like idk my twisted mind just sees the Teletubbies this way teehee! but if you ask ME why, for example, the adult Teletubbies live in the forest I’ll explain that in 2017 I was at a major life crossroads and this dream was ABOUT that. It was goodbye to my identity as a foreigner from the pine forests, and full steam ahead to settling permanently in the fucking shire (where the baby teletubbies on the bbc show live). It was about going back to work having had my first child, and saying goodbye to my various career dreams for myself (famous scientist! Published author!) as I chose instead, finally, the responsibility of working humbly as a public servant for the actual good of society. It is about witnessing the wild and saying “I am not of it, but it is my job to be its witness and voice.” That’s why the adult Teletubbies are dancing in my native forests while I’m watching them from the English hills. This guy doesn’t know that he just vaguely heard “spooky forest cryptid” and didn’t develop it at all, I do more work than that with FANFICTION in my time off!!!

So it’s really about nebulous stuff and ethics and not something worth paying a lawyer for I think!

But thank you so much for this, I think the thing that gets most perennial about it is the TOTAL GASLIGHTING of the “outside world” of the rest of the internet like, fully believing they invented this, and they DIDNT. They’re so wrong on the internet and they don’t know

[redstrawbluestraw]

since you drew the ladies mind sharing with us what their roles will be (without spoilers ofc :o)

Also any reason why fanny (litellary my wife, who looks suprisingly gentler than usually) and minnie are grayscale while ms chalice and sheba are colored? Is that just their pick of wear? a little nod to them being made before colored cartoons? Orrrrrr is there a world building reason for it -♡-?

AAAAAAA I'M SO HAPPY THIS IS MY FIRST INBOX MESSAGE!!!!! I LOVE YOUR HC'S AND CONTENT SM THIS GENUINELY MADE MY DAY THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU <33333333333333 As for the questions, strap on in this ones gonna be a long one!!

Here are the roles for each of the ladies! Please keep in mind that when I say "when joining the team", that involves the ladies staying at Mickey & Minnie's house, which is kinda like their "home base" I do favor Fanny a little more I fear, but that's neither here nor there. So if she has a lot of info that's why

Sheba: Sheba is Felix's lifelong best friend who tends to do a lot of traveling, hence why she's not consistently involved in Felix's life. But she always makes an effort to come back to him and catch up on each other's lives, regardless of where he may be! Prior to being part of the group, I like to think that her role consists of street performing, essentially an 'on the road' musician. She'll never stay in one place, and often collaborates with other performers to make music. When joining the team, her role either consists of helping Felix create his maps by offering her own insights on towns/cities he may have not visited, or assisting with Fanny. Speaking of which- Fanny Cottontail: Fanny is a former actress, most known for her femme fatale role in Oswald's earlier episodes. Ironically enough, her role in the show would be her first and final gig, as directors cut her from the show due to finding another "suitable" partner for Oswald (there's also other reasons why she can't get a role, but that'll be explored later in the comic). Due to a series of events that I can't elaborate on yet, Fanny goes on to then discover she actually has a passion for crafting. More specifically in creating weapons, primarily guns! Her role prior to the group was whatever anybody needed her to be- when joining the team, her role serves as the gunsmith of the group, eagerly teaching everybody gun handling, as well as how to defend themselves. (I drew her gentler bc I like to think she's so much happier once she's doing things for herself and surrounded by ppl who love her!!) Some members of the group assist with helping her make guns, such as Sheba, Minnie (from time to time), and Cuphead & Mugman. Minnie: Minnie is one of the few characters who remains consistent with her career. Prior to the group, she performed alongside with Mickey, where they soon fell in love off set. Unlike with Fanny, she remained as the love interest before taking a quick break from acting to pursue her other dream of teaching. From there she became a preschool teacher, with a passion and love for teaching her students. With the state of the ink illness in the city, however, Minnie's school in particular was one of the many that was left to close. Forcing her to either teach home to home, or stay alongside Mickey- ultimately choosing the latter out of fear of catching/spreading the illness. Once she joins the team, her role is that of the caretaker- this consists of making food for the other members, making sure each member has clean clothes, and overall cleaning. She convinces herself that she's happy with this new role, but later on we'll see that that's not the case. Chalice: Chalice has a bit of a shorter summary, as I'm still working out the smaller details for her, so bare with me! But for the most part I want to keep her very similar to the core characteristic that she's a wanderer as well, doing so prior to the group. I can't discuss much of her prior background because it ties more with the Cup brothers and the devil, but she's essentially looking for something (Somebody) very near and dear to her. It's her entire mission prior, but once joining the team I would say she's still remains as the "distraction"- she's a performer at heart, and can capture anybody's with just a wink of an eye. The team assigns Chalice to play the role of the manipulator, which she is more than happy to play! (Might actually update her bio in the future once I get more details settled in).

As for why Fanny and Minnie are grayscale, it is due to the fact that they're older toons! I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this in the final product of the comic tho, that piece was mostly just a wip, so I'm still deciding if there should be colored/gray toons, or just all color or all gray. I'm leaning more towards the comic being in grayscale entirely, since I feel like it fits better with the time period. I've also just been thinking about recoloring that wip of the ladies where they're all in grayscale, and another ver where they're all in color, since I was worried it might cause confusion! But for now no, there's no world building reason for it (I WISH THO WTF NOW I MIGHT REWRITE SOME STUFF ARRGGHH)

Anyways, thank you so much again for the ask, I hope this covered enough! Or if it didn't lmk, I would love to elaborate and discuss more! I'm so appreciative that anybody is even remotely interested in my au, so it truly does warm my heart :) <33

[leikeliscomet]

Flop and Bubble - Part 3/End - The Writers Room

When I recommended I May Destroy You, Mood, Dreaming Whilst Black and Champion it wasn’t just because they were Black British shows, even though that’s part of it. It was because they all represented similar themes to Dot and Bubble with more tact, nuance and depth than that episode could ever dream of. Arabella’s social media dependency became her outlet because she thought it was the only way to reclaim power after her assault. Sasha’s obsession with social media is because she knows social currency can turn financial and in her dire situation, she needs the reach. Kwabena’s outbursts take place inside his head because even though he knows he’s right, he knows what the consequences are if he speaks out and he walks the tightrope of validation and authenticity. Vita’s musical image is under control by her white manager because her roles as a dark-skinned Black woman in the music industry are limited. I also recommended them because they all reflect the dissonance between Black British media and creatives and white British media like Doctor Who. Every show essentially is the story of a Black British creative struggling to ‘make it’ in their respective industry. Arabella’s book. Sasha’s EP. Kwabena’s short film. Vita’s music career. Each of these reflects the struggle of the Black British creative in real life from lack of funds, the right imagery and ultimately what the white British consumer wants.

Again, by giving Black people our creative agency, there’s a place for Black experiences that Doctor Who can’t provide, or at least could but hasn’t. In Doctor Who, Adjani Salmon was just that guy with the ‘weird hair’ from that Eve of the Daleks episode. In Dreaming Whilst Black, he’s the creator and lead actor of a critically acclaimed show, BAFTA nominated alongside David Tennant. In Doctor Who, Malorie Blackman was just that Black woman that made Rosa. In Noughts and Crosses, she’s a critically acclaimed author, the first Black Children’s Laureate and to me, a massive inspiration that showed me Black girls can be book protagonists too. In Doctor Who, Tosin Cole as Ryan Sinclair is the ‘worst companion of the whole show’, a bad actor and a cardboard cutout. In Supacell, he’s the leading man and a breakout star of 2024. Where Doctor Who fails in Black representation, Black British media gets it right. In a bittersweet sense, I know the true representation I’d want from the show won’t come (or not at least for a very long time) but I know where it could be outside it. To repeat from previous essays, I don’t expect the perfect Black representation to come from Doctor Who as it's a predominantly white show intended for a white audience. I only expect the bare minimum of living up to its promise (which it made all by itself by the way) of having ‘space for all’, in this case providing Black representation both in and behind the screen. If it can’t do that, then at least be honest and say you just don’t want us here. It saves a lot of time. We can make our own spaces where we’re actually wanted.

-

The tone drastically changes when you shift from performing for white validity to defending yourself and essentially, stop chasing after the boat. It’s harsh and cold. It even exists in the show. When Martha defended herself she was ‘aggressive’. When Mickey and Danny called out their mistreatment they became ‘abusive’. When the Fugitive held a gun she never fired she was ‘violent’. The price you pay for not chasing after the boat is that you become the Bogeyman. It’s very clear from the responses I got from my OG thread, many white fans and non-Black fans of colour wanted me to stay in my place and be grateful for the steaming dump I was given. How dare I not bow before RTD? He wrote about racism and he’s got a Black guy what else can you want? Isn’t that enough? Didn’t he try his best? Isn’t RTD’s best good enough? 

No. It’s not good enough. I don’t care who cries about me saying this. As I’ve already addressed in my Fugitive Doctor essay, I’m not crediting Black stories to RTD. Simply enjoying his work is fine. I enjoy his work myself, specifically the Sarah Jane Adventures, It’s a Sin and Years & Years. But when the Doctor Who fandom claims RTD, a white writer, is the reason for progress in Black representation and Black art over the countless Black creatives who’ve worked before him, the same time as him and after him, I will always, always push back on that as a Black person. I had no reason to gas this episode because it disappointed me from the initial watch and rewatch. From the disgusting antiblackness I experienced from this fandom for critiquing Dot and Bubble, I have zero reason to ever call it a good story about my own experience as a Black person. If you’re looking for a Black user to gas this episode to make your interest in this episode and season look morally superior and woke, it’s not happening. I don’t need to consider your disagreements, your interpretations, your opinions or your permission to dislike Dot and Bubble as a Black person. I will also push back on the bold comments made by RTD himself. You have a Black character and racism plot. Cool. How this is written and how this plays out is what actually matters to me than it just simply existing. Allyship isn’t the state of going from racist to anti-racist overnight. It’s not clinging onto the nearest Black person for dear life. It’s through consistent actions and support that someone becomes an ally. For once, you aren’t instantly rewarded for just showing up, you have to do more than the bare minimum. And that’s the closest to the Black British experience this fandom will ever get.

In a renaissance of Black British media, if Doctor Who’s getting any accolades from me, it needs to keep up. The idea I have to praise an episode just because ‘it's the racism one’, with shallow messages meant to soothe the ego of its audience instead of challenge it, with no Black writers in the creation process, no original theme of racism to begin with and that dozens of pieces of Black media have done a hell of a lot better, to sum it up, is a fucking joke. Black creatives don’t have to ask permission to create and represent ourselves. We just have to get on with it because it’s not gonna create itself. I’m not asking for permission to hate this dutty episode. I’m not chasing after that boat.

<- Part 2

[thetimelordbatgirl]

OC Halloween Challenge 2024 Day Twenty One: Apocalypse AU

The New Titans (DC) if they were in the animated film, Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. After Darkseid's failed attempts at conquering Earth, Superman devises a plan to stop him once and for all and alongside the Justice League and other allies, goes to Apokolips to do the plan, while heroes like the Teen Titans and their differing incarnations including The New Titans are left behind on Earth alongside other heroes as its defense. But tragicially, Superman's plan fails due to Darkseid becoming aware of it through spying through the unaware Cyborg, and the result of the failure includes a large amount of deaths on both Apokolips and on Earth when the titans and their allies struggle to defend Earth from the invading Parademons, including New Titans members Tidebreaker/Rickey Dalton, Seaspray/Mickey Dalton and Jadestar/Tessond'r. Ultimately, despite all efforts, Darkseid and his forces would win and conquer Earth, leaving any surviving heroes who wont captured by Darkseid to hide out and survive as best as they could, with Dark Omen/Coraline Cameron joining Raven in hiding to try and help her keep Trigon imprisoned while Saprrow/Prim Davis joined her adopted brother, Robin/Damian Wayne, ultiamtely in the League of Shadows, just trying to remain with the only members left of her family after all of her losses. Two years pass before any hope of defeating Darkseid emerges, with it coming in the form of the hero whose plan had led them to all of this: Superman.

[mywingsareonwheels]

Characters whose best and worst actions all come from the same motivating factor my beloveds. <3 That is delicious shit.

I'm trying to think of lots (honestly Pratchett specialised in this), but mostly I'm obsessed with this wrt Fred Thursday and the fact that nearly everything he does comes from the relentless drive to protect a) his loved ones (including Morse, obviously, but also including Charlie, frustrating as he is), b) vulnerable people, especially children and teenagers but also e.g. elderly abuse victims, c) anyone he feels responsible for and he has a tendency to feel responsible for a lot of people.

More on this behind the cut, including Endeavour spoilers up to the end of s9, and mention of deaths, bullying, abuse.

And you can see where it comes from. Child abuse survivor with two brothers, one of whom has now died (we don't know when); and I think it's implied at least that he isn't the youngest of the three. I think at some point, maybe even when he was a kid, he decided that he would be a protector rather than an abuser of his family and community; that he would be different from his dad. Whenever that decision occurred, it absolutely set up his entire life.

Then he went from that to (reading some very clear spaces between the lines) protecting his community against both fascists and his fellow police officers in the Battle of Cable Street[1]. Then the war, and becoming an NCO, and losing men he felt responsible for, losing Italian resistance fighters he'd worked with and loved. Then Mickey Carter. Then all the many and varied events of Endeavour, but I think above all the death of Fancy.

We see him be compassionate and heroic and understanding and so deeply, profoundly caring and gentle because of that protective urge. We see him make heartrendingly understandable mistakes and be entrapped by the machinations of people far more subtle than him. We see him make horrible, dreadful decisions, be ferociously violent. And all of it ultimately all three spring form that protectiveness.

We know that he repeatedly saves Morse, provides a safe home, helps save others. We know that he's never stopped being a magnificent anti-fascist. We know that he'll risk his life for children in a heartbeat (nearly dying simply for the possibility of rescuing a troubled lad in "Neverland"), help an abuse victim cover up the murder of her husband, reassure a queer woman in the aftermath of her partner's murder. And oh goodness, just... all of his relationship with Morse, both as mentor and as protector. The coat blanket, and secretly paying Monica to check in on Morse, and "there's a town needs looking to", and "corned beef", and "take as long as you need", and "the sun always comes up".

We know that his attempt to protect Joan from her abusive partner backfires horrendously and that he manages to make her feel hounded. We know that Sam never admitted he was being bullied at school because he was afraid of how his father would react. We see Fred kill twice to protect Morse, and once to protect Sam, and we nearly see him kill to protect Joan. We see him do his best, over and over again, to help and support Morse, while also trying to spare his blushes by being (frustratingly) covert about it a lot of the time. We see him defend Morse, Sam, anybody else to Bright, to authority figures in general, sometimes in ways that help; often in ways that don't.

We know that he never seems to feel that it's enough, that every loss he experiences despite his efforts to protect that person leaves him shattered. We know that he is burned out by the beginning of series 6, let alone 9. We know that he is capable of profound growth and wisdom, but that when under stress he defaults to "I must protect this person whatever the cost", and then hates himself whether he succeeds or fails. We also know that when he's tunnel-visioned on saving one person, he sometimes neglects others.

It's... aaah it's so interesting. His protectiveness is a wonderful, moving quality, and honestly a huge part of why I love him so much as a character. There's something enormously nurturing about Fred and his protectiveness - he's anything but just a pair of fists with a badge. But then when that very same quality leads him into such dark places... it's so compelling, and so dreadfully human.

[1] No wonder, honestly, he has a more... flexible approach to the law and the rules than Morse does. He's seen (in the East End, in Italy, etc.) where following the rules exactly can lead the police; his reliance on his own morality rather than the law does come from a damn good and necessary place, whatever it leads him to. He's lived through a time when being willing to break the rules has made him a better man and a safer person to be around. I find it extremely easy to believe similarly that during the years of his career where homosexuality was illegal, he did a lot of making darn sure he didn't see anything he was supposed to pay attention to. (Insert here some extremely complicated feelings and thoughts about the difference between Fred's flavour of rule-breaking and what we get in the police in the real world. At his very worst, he's still better. *sighs*)

[wow-its-me]

Here’s what I think about YOU PERSONALLY based off of your favorite New Who Doctor Who companion

Rose Tyler - You’re sweet, maybe a bit boring, kind and generally well liked. Your currently a casual Doctor Who fan, may or may not of been more into it when you were younger

Mickey Smith - Chill on the outside, extremely intese on the inside. Were a more hardcore fan when you were younger and may or may not still be. Golden retriever energy

Captain Jack Harkness - Gay. Or a tumblr girlie. Or both. Either way you kinda want to be him, but aren’t even close. It’s gonna be okay I still love you.

Martha Jones - You okay? Genuine question. Quiet and Introverted, but very passionate and assertive of your opinions

Donna Noble - I love you. No further comments.

Amy Pond - You think your the main character. You’re not. That’s not necessarily a bad thing! Confident! A bit of a daydreamer bit of a space cadet.

Rory Pond - similar to the Amy fan but you spend more time outside. You think this makes you better, it does not. Unrelated but I imagine you read a lot.

River song - You think you’re really cool. You are cool, just maybe not as much as you think you are. Kind and chill. If you’re a hardcore fan you scare me a little. You watched the series from Rivers perspective. ,,,,, neurodivergent??

Clara Oswald - We are fundamentally different people with different morals, values, and preferences in fictional characters. This is only an example of a deeper difference that would ultimately keep us from developing a stronger personal connection. However despite doubting I’ll ever understand you I do see you and have a high respect you. Not many would stand with an opinion like this. (I promise I don’t hate Clara)

Bill Potts - You’re cool. Like actually cool. You probably don’t see it though.

Nardole - I have nothing to say about you. Take this in whatever way you like. I’m not being negative or positive, just indifferent.

Graham - read “Clara Oswald”

Ryan - I’ve never seen, heard of, or met anyone who’s favorite is genuinely Ryan. If you are reading this I am both confused and delighted at your existence. I have questions though. Mainly, Why him?

Yaz - You’re defending season 13 with your life. A thasmin shipper who reads too much fan fiction and wants nothing more than her to get a better ending. Tumblr girlie, probably a Good Omens fan.

Dan - I love you. No further comments.

Ruby Sunday - you do not have enough information or time with her to claim that she’s your favorite new who companion ever. She’s been in one episode. New fan or someone who forms opinions like it’s a race.

[frankplads]

The recent ass@ssination attempt at Trump's rally was not a surprise.

Victor Davis Hanson discusses this alarming trend in his new article "Ass@ssination Pr0n and the Sickness on the Left" – a highly recommended read: https://www.jns.org/assassination-porn-and-the-sickness-on-the-left/

Since 2016, numerous liberal celebrities and entertainers have openly talked or joked (?) about ki||ing or hurting him.

And for years, liberal media and politicians have portrayed him both literally and figuratively as the next Hitl3r.

According to them he will "end democracy". The subtle underlying message to the masses is that "someone must do something to make sure he is not elected."

The influential figures below have expressed specific types of violence against Trump. How do you think such public statements can impact their followers?

Killing (Johnny Depp)

Suffocating (Larry Wilmore)

Blowing up (Madonna, Moby)

Poisoning (Anthony Bourdain)

Bounty killing (George Lopez)

Corpse being eaten (Pearl Jam)

Shooting (Snoop Dogg, Big Sean)

Stabbing (Shakespeare in the Park)

Throwing off a cliff (Rosie O’Donnell)

Punching (Robert De Niro, Mickey Rourke)

Decapitation (Kathy Griffin, Marilyn Manson)

Even after the shooting, Representative Steven Woodrow (D) from Denver tweeted: "The last thing America needed was sympathy for the devil but here we are."

Remember that the Left often accuses the Right of "dogwhistling", suggesting that some of their references are meant to incite harmful actions against other groups.

But very famous Leftists always go MUCH further, with explicit details in their violent fantasies against Trump or other GOP politicians.

This hypocrisy is stark. People on the Left claim to defend democracy, yet their drastic rhetoric often undermines it.

And the Democratic Party are also behind countless undemocratic acts. Conservative Momma highlights many of them in this video: https://youtu.be/kmot5PEP81k

Perhaps this shooting could be a wake-up call for many people on the Left? Unfortunately I doubt that.

As a hardcore Leftist, I know intimately that most so-called liberals ultimately are afraid of thinking critically and individually. The risk is too high, so they don't go against the group consensus, even when this is morally wrong.

And their leaders don't encourage people to think for themselves, since they essentially want mindless voters who do as they're told and don't rock the boat.

George Orwell would rotate in his grave if he knew about the terrible state of the Left around the world today.

P.S. If you haven't seen this photo before, it's of comedian Kathy Griffin holding a decapitated head that's meant to look like Trump. Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyle/comedian-kathy-griffin-says-her-career-is-over-after-gory-trump-photo-idUSKBN18T21F/

[truck-fump]

When the KKK Murdered My Childhood Friend When the Ku Klux Klan...

New Post has been published on https://robertreich.org/post/753747754928472064

When the KKK Murdered My Childhood Friend When the Ku Klux Klan...

When the KKK Murdered My Childhood Friend 

When the Ku Klux Klan murdered my protector, it made me see the world differently.

I was always the shortest kid in school, which made me an easy target for bullies. To protect myself, I got into the habit of befriending older boys who’d watch my back.

One summer when I was around 8 years old I found Mickey, a kind and gentle teenager with a ready smile who made me feel safe.

Over the years, I lost track of Mickey. It wasn’t until the fall of 1964, my freshman year in college, that I heard what had happened to him.

Several months before, Mickey, whose full name was Michael Schwerner, had gone to Mississippi to register Black voters during what was known as “Freedom Summer.”

On June 21, Michael and two other civil rights workers, James Chaney and Andrew Goodman, were arrested near Philadelphia, Mississippi by Neshoba County Deputy Sheriff Cecil Ray Price, for allegedly speeding.

That night, after they paid their speeding ticket and left the jail, Deputy Price followed them, stopped them again, ordered them into his car, and took them down a deserted road where he turned them over to a group of his fellow Ku Klux Klan members. They were beaten, shot at point-blank range, and buried in an earthen dam. Their bodies weren’t found until August 4.

The state of Mississippi refused to bring charges against any of the Klan members. Eventually, the U.S. Justice Department brought federal charges against Price and 17 others.

An all-white jury found seven of the defendants guilty, including Price. Ultimately none would serve more than six years behind bars.

When the news reached me that Mickey, my childhood protector, had been murdered by white supremacists — by violent bullies who would stop at nothing to prevent Black people from exercising their right to vote — something snapped inside me.

I began to see everything differently.  Before then, I understood bullying as a few kids picking on me for being short. Now I saw bullying on a larger scale, all around me. In Black people bullied by whites. In workers bullied by bosses. In girls and women bullied by men. In the disabled or gay or poor or sick or immigrant bullied by employers, landlords, insurance companies, and politicians.

Sixty years after the Freedom Summer murders, America still wrestles with bullies — a rise in hate crimes targeting people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, Jews, and Muslims — new laws restricting the right to vote, banning books, and stripping Americans of reproductive freedoms — leaders who insult and demean people with disabilities, women, and trans kids.

We must never give in to cruelty and violence. It is incumbent on all of us to stand up to bullies and be each other’s protectors.

[dramaticviolincrescendo]

The thing is, Ian was right. Mickey doesn't know any better, the writers on the show made sure of that, because for them the only important thing about Mickey is his devotion to Ian. But we're a bit more realistic about it and can analyze Ian's actions without being limited by someone's poor imagination.

There’s a lot to address here, so please forgive me for the lengthy response, anon! 🙂 I’ll preface all of it by saying this: my general opinion is that if Mickey has what makes him happy, we should support that regardless of how we feel about the other party (with obvious exceptions like physical abuse, etc.). If Byron was what made him happy, I would support him even if I couldn’t stand the guy. The same goes for any other character in any other franchise, at least for me. Now, onto your points:

I’m not sure which scene you mean when you mention Ian saying he doesn’t know any better, but I’m definitely with you on our ability to analyze Ian’s actions. The problem here is that analyzing will always be colored by perspective and implicit bias. If your fave is Mickey, anything that hurts him will look a whole lot worse than what he does that hurts Ian and perhaps lead to conducting a less than thorough analysis or rejecting sensible arguments about Ian’s character. Based on the number of posts I see about how Mickey is the only good thing on the show, I’d argue that that is a very real danger in many of the takes on Ian as well as everyone else. I’ve seen some pretty heavy demonizing of characters who hurt Mickey’s feelings or aren’t actively sweet to him, which is a bit unrealistic since that’s life and Mickey certainly never seems to mind or let it keep him down for long.

As far as him not knowing better, on the whole, I don’t think that gives Mickey much credit at all. Actually, it doesn’t really give him any credit, which is sort of surprising given how vehemently people defend his IQ, academically and emotionally, against what amounted to a joke. Mickey knows that Ian messes up and does things that are questionable at best and hurtful at worst. He’s not an innocent, pure character who endures heartache after heartache to throw himself at the brick wall of earning Ian’s attention. He gives as good as he gets and has hurt Ian too. They’re human and written very realistically in that regard. Their love for one another allows them to forgive transgressions and move on, not hold grudges or “not know any better” with regards to what they deserve. Love isn’t about what we deserve, and I think it’s important to remember that a relationship won’t last if it’s based on an arbitrary numerical score of who has done more harm than the other. Things happen. Poor decisions are made. They can allow that to break them or work through it. Mickey has actively chosen to work through it because at the end of the day, he loves Ian more than he is interested in finding something else. In earlier seasons, Ian similarly chose to work through it with someone who might never be in a position to come out and begin the full relationship that he so desperately wanted. That’s beautiful to me, not contemptible.

As far as the only important thing about Mickey being his devotion to Ian, we’ll also have to agree to disagree. 🙂 In the early seasons, while Ian was certainly the catalyst for it, Mickey’s story was about coming out more than his devotion to Ian. That’s why we have the scenes where he taunted Kash (focus: keeping his secret), purposely got sent back to juvie (focus: hiding from Terry if he found out), and got married (focus: self-preservation). We do absolutely see a rising devotion for Ian during this period, of course, and there’s no argument that his character was written expressly to be Ian’s love interest. The writers still made him a well-developed one with his own motives, fears, and desires outside of Ian in a way that later love interests didn’t get. (My own belief is that they didn’t intend for the later relationships to last like they did Mickey, but regardless of the validity there, Mickey was written as a character with more depth from the very beginning and existed before anything with Ian ever happened.)

The first half of s4 shows Mickey on his own merits. He’s handling his new position as a patriarch of the family, running the business while Terry is fairly hands-off and watches. He decides to help the Russian girls and ends up going into business with Kev. We learn a lot about Mickey’s character outside of Ian during that time. In fact, there are only a couple of scenes that really focus on him missing Ian until finding him becomes Mickey’s task: asking Kev if anyone has heard from him, the bathroom scene, and the later Alibi scene. Otherwise, the early s4 writers showed us a Mickey who was compassionate, ambitious, utilitarian, entrepreneurial, and collaborative—all without tying it back to Ian. Kev and V are renowned friends of the Gallaghers, but Mickey doesn’t grow closer to Kev in an attempt to learn more about what happened to Ian. He doesn’t help the girls because he thinks Ian would want him to. In fact, with the exception of those scenes I mentioned, we have no reason to believe that Ian is on Mickey’s mind at all while he’s doing these other things. He has a life outside of Ian just like the opposite is true, and s4 went to great lengths to show us that.

The second half of s4 is, once again, about keeping his secret until he decides to come out. (Read: decides to, is not forced to. More on that in a moment.) Yes, his devotion to Ian is once again the catalyst for some of his decisions, but there’s much more to it than that. Once again, we still see scenes with Mickey operating on his own for his own purposes. He doesn’t leave home entirely because he wants to be with Ian—he also wants to escape from his wife and pretend that things are the way they used to be. He doesn’t scam money from the rich guy or take more than his cut from the register at the Alibi to protect Ian—he does it for self-preservation so that Svetlana won’t get him killed. He doesn’t go to the baptism to keep up appearances and protect Ian—he does it to keep up appearances for himself and because...well, like it or not, that’s his son. The lattermost is something Ian specifically does not want him to do, and if he does, he wants to be there. Mickey goes against his wishes because it’s about protecting himself (and perhaps, by extension, their relationship), and rightfully so. Coming out at the Alibi does once again tie to Ian as a catalyst for change in Mickey’s life, but it didn’t have to happen. Mickey could have grabbed his coat, told everyone goodnight, and left with Ian. At no time did Ian tell him that he would leave if Mickey didn’t come out to everyone or admit they’re a couple, even if he did make reference to the fact that Mickey was hiding and not free. All Ian wanted was for Mickey not to treat him like a mistress or expect him to stick around if he did. Instead, it was a logical culmination of Mickey’s written development to come out. He’s stronger and more independent than he used to be. He’s capable of taking care of himself and surviving in the world without relying on Terry. He’s in a position where yes, he’s still justifiably terrified of coming out and what it’ll mean where Terry is concerned, but he’s able to do it. Ian is a catalyst for it, but being devoted to him isn’t Mickey’s only reason.

In s5, a lot of Mickey’s story does revolve around his devotion to Ian, but not any more than Ian’s revolves around devotion to him in the second half of s3. We still see Mickey doing business and running the family, but having Ian be his more central concern makes sense because Ian is sick and the writers have already told us that his health is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. In denial or not, Mickey knows this. And so we see his story center around Ian because, to an extent, it has to. Ian is mentally and physically sick. He’s adjusting not only to meds, but to a label that makes him feel ashamed and afraid. Mickey is devoted to him, and so Mickey does everything he can to take care of him. But here’s the thing: that scares Ian too. He’s seen what happens to the people who try to take care of Monica. He knows how it felt to try only to be ignored or betrayed or abandoned. The breakup isn’t about anger at being coddled or, by my interpretation and Ian’s own words, him being selfish. It’s about him seeing that Mickey’s devotion is going to keep him from living his life and ultimately (in his opinion) hurt him beyond repair, and so he sets Mickey free. It hurts him, yes, but it does work.

Because even though we don’t see it happen on-screen, s6 through s9 can’t possibly be Mickey sitting in a prison cell pining over Ian. If that was going to happen, we’d have seen it in s4. By this point, we know who Mickey is outside of Ian and can assume that he’s operating in much the same way on the inside until he figures out what he wants to do. We know he and Svetlana had a business arrangement where they took out contracts for work he could do in prison. We know that he makes a business acquaintanceship with Damon, which means he was probably involved in dealing or smuggling while there. Neither of these things can possibly revolve around devotion to Ian because they could conceivably keep him from Ian longer. His sentence is fifteen years, and if he’s counting on being out in eight to be with Ian, he needs to be on his best behavior. He’s not. He’s unapologetically not when he sees Ian again and talks about what Damon is. Ian looks less than comfortable with it, but that’s not why they ditch him—it’s because he might get Mickey caught with his behavior. Even breaking out happened once he was able to solidify an opportunity working for a cartel, so while Ian may have been another catalyst (besides the obvious desire to get out of prison), the decision wasn’t about devotion to him. The only decision that was about that was the one he made at the border to let Ian go without making him feel worse about it. He’s devoted to Ian, so he knows that dragging him along on the run into the unknown won’t be good for him. He needs stability and a support system and medication, none of which Mickey can provide if they cross that border together. So, out of his devotion, he lets Ian go. They have a heartfelt goodbye and separate for what they think is the last time.

Does Mickey’s devotion lead him to turning himself in? Absolutely. But not before spending another long stint living his own life. The writers make sure we know that he had a life without Ian playing a role in it, once again conducting business and operating successfully on his own merits. They’re limited in what they can show because Noel wasn’t available, which made logistics important, but they didn’t leave him high and dry or insinuate that he was waiting around in Mexico for an excuse to return to Ian. He was once again a successful businessman in the illicit economy. When he returns in s10, his storyline does then appear to revolve around devotion to Ian more—but it doesn’t. Mickey has people he hangs out with in prison separate from Ian and with no ties to him. With the Byron situation, it wasn’t about proving devotion for Ian when he thought Ian questioned it—it was about hurting Ian because of what happened at the courthouse, even after he found out what Ian was really afraid of. If the writers were only interested in showing his devotion to Ian, he would have ditched Byron the second Ian told him that he was scared of his disorder and ruining them. He doesn’t. He sticks it out because Mickey is so much more than his relationship with Ian: he’s independent, vengeful, hot-headed, impulsive, and stubborn. These are traits that have been set up by the writers throughout the series both with and without ties to their relationship, and he very adamantly adheres to his revenge-plot-turned-catalyst-for-Ian-pulling-his-head-out-of-his-ass because he isn’t all about devotion to Ian.

I completely respect your opinion on the matter and appreciate the opportunity to discuss it at length! Ultimately, it boils down to this for me: the writers get a lot off flack for some of the narrative decisions and, of course, they won’t always be to our liking. Opinions and preferences assure us of that. I don’t think it’s about us being more realistic or more capable of analyzing a character, though. Everything above was written. It wasn’t spelled out and handed to us, no, but the writers put it there so that we could then analyze it. There’s no analyzing a blank slate or someone whose only narrative is devotion to Ian. The writers have given us a wealth of things to consider when it comes to all the characters, Mickey included, and we wouldn’t be able to have this conversation if they didn’t. Mickey is intelligent, thoughtful, insightful, and more than capable of standing on his own two feet as both a fictional person and a character. If he chose Ian, then it’s because he has weighed all these things and found them to be nothing in the grand scheme of their love for one another. Again, though, we can agree to disagree. Thank you for this ask—I find myself writing more about Ian, so I had a lot of fun thinking back over the series to answer it! 😃🧡

[goshdangronpa]

How about I start by who I'd least expect to beat, then work my way down to my final answer? (Spoilers for all four games, of course)

Sakura: I'd throw a punch at her just for the masochistic pleasure of being rolled into a ball, dribbled down the court in the Hope’s Peak gym, and dunked into a basket. Yes, muscle mommy, cartoon my ass

Kiibo: lol at anyone citing Asimov's laws of robotics or making any other excuse while voting for him. Robot Jones will someday kill someone on accident. Pity the fool who teaches him how to high-five. I bow before our robot overlord.

Sonia: ain't no way she hasn't gotten some royal training in one-on-one fights. Novoselic is probably one of those countries where every abled citizen must serve two years in the military. She'd fall to the ground with one hit, feign agony at my rudeness, then sidesweep me onto my back and rearrange my facial features.

Kirumi: the Ultimate Maid is probably more like Batman's Alfred, or even the Green Hornet's Kato, than you'd exist from such a slim figure. Plus, leaders of countries are not historically known for being merciful when something is on the line. I'm not taking my chances.

Junko: you don't start the apocalypse without knowing how to defend yourself, which her whipped Ultimate Soldier sister would totally teach her. Plus, she's the epitome of mean teen girl. She'll slash my face with her perfect nails and feel no remorse. I'm screwed.

Fuyuhiko: I respect you, Baby Gangsta, but you need to be tied down with a weight during a mild breeze. Same here, though, so I give it 50/50 and we go for drinks afterward.

Kokichi: he's all talk and virtually no walk. He needed someone else to kill Miu for him, and he only successfully decks Kaito when the guy is dying from disease. I'd sock him once, then sock him one last time as he sheds crocodile tears about me being so mean.

Kiyotaka: I've seen these JROTC kids, all they do is march in place until they're told to stop like Mickey Mouse's broomsticks and fold their uniform. Plus, Taka would probably want to fight like a gentleman, whereas I believe that "fighting dirty" is just fighting smart. He'll fold with one kick in the ishimondos.

Komaru: none of the protagonists are exactly Michelle Yeoh. Komaru could probably rally if Toko's rooting her on, but with a "no outside interference" rule in place, and the "hand-to-hand" rule excluding her trusty weapon, this would be embarrassingly swift.

Nagito: as Hal said on Malcolm in the Middle, "Crazy beats big every time." I'm not big, and no one save maybe Mikan can out-crazy Nagito. On the other hand, he has stage 4 lymphoma. One punch to the solar plexus could conceivably kill him ... but not before he subjects me to one last overbearing monologue, which could conceivably kill me.

Assume all fights are hand-to-hand with no outside interference. Reblog to increase sample size.

[your-angle-of-music]

Let’s talk about Danny Pink

It isn’t a coincidence that the face of the British soldier is cast as a Black man — not a person in a position of privilege in the racialized, imperialist state in which he lives and which he has fought for. The show has no interest in exploring that further.

Twelve’s run of Doctor Who is a lot more unflinchingly critical of the military and militarism in terms of its sci-fi scenarios, in episodes such as “Into the Dalek” and “The Zygon Invasion”/“The Zygon Inversion” especially. But in terms of Britain’s actual imperialist agendas in the Middle East, Danny Pink and his mindset are treated with a lot more compassion and he is able to be redeemed, to undo his mistake. He pays for it with his life, of course, but he is able to clear his soul and prove that he is good, that the common soldier is good, and ultimately capable of being innocent. His guilt is centered, not the life of the child he killed, and it’s yet another example of Western media making its soldiers the real victims of their own war crimes.

Danny himself seems conflicted about his role in the army. In “The Caretaker,” Clara attempts to defend Danny to the Doctor, reminding him that Danny is a maths teacher, not a soldier. But Danny refuses to be defended. “One thing, Clara. I'm a soldier, guilty as charged,” he says. “You see him? He’s an officer…I'm the one who carries you out of the fire. He's the one who lights it.” His point about the Doctor being an officer is an interesting one, and we can argue all day about the degree to which it’s justified. That’s kind of what season eight, with all its heavy-handed writing, is for. But Danny still believes that the job of a soldier is to carry a person out of the fire, that it’s got “a moral dimension,” as he says in “Into the Dalek.” It’s an identity he doesn’t quite want to let go of, and that extends beyond the posturing that he and the Doctor are doing in “The Caretaker.” 

But it isn’t that simple, of course. After all, after the events of “Kill the Moon,” we get this exchange between Danny and Clara:

DANNY: I think I've seen this look before.

CLARA: No, you haven't. This is new for me.

DANNY: No, not on your face. On mine.

CLARA: What did you do?

DANNY: I left the army.

CLARA: You loved the army.

DANNY: Yep. And then one day I didn't.

He killed a child, by accident, and that persuaded him that he didn’t belong there, that being in the army had changed him in a way he didn’t like. Of course, it’s the officers that are to blame, as he hints at at the end of “The Caretaker” when he expresses his concern that Clara followed the Doctor’s orders without question or fear, comparing it to his experiences with officers during his time in the army. Now, that is one criticism of Clara that does not seem fair, to be honest. “Listen” and “Dark Water” come to mind. But the more interesting point is what it says about Danny. His clear criticisms, the idea of killing anyone, including yourself, because you’re told to, and turning into someone you’re not, are exactly the same as the Doctor’s. In this respect, they do understand each other. It’s just that they assign the blame a little bit differently. The Doctor has been an officer, in Danny’s terms, but he has been a soldier, too. The Doctor’s anger at Danny and all soldiers is pointed just as much at himself, but like Danny, he excoriates himself for it in private, and everyone else for it in public. It makes both of them honorable, and both of them hypocritical. And of course, much of the fandom chooses to take a more dichotomous interpretation, on racial lines.

Because it also isn’t a coincidence that yet another left-behind love interest is cast as a Black person (see Mickey Smith, Martha Jones, even arguably the young adult Melody Pond). It isn’t a coincidence that yet another person the Doctor underestimates and belittles is cast as a Black person. No, the Doctor doesn’t do it because he’s Black, he does it because he’s a soldier. But the Doctor isn’t real. Steven Moffat and Russell T. Davies and everyone else who made that choice are real, though, and are allergic to treating Black characters with care.

I do not understand how the fandom can consider Danny to be pushy or controlling. He never once asks her to leave the Doctor. In “The Caretaker,” all he asks is that she tell him if being with the Doctor ever stops feeling good, “because if you don't tell me the truth, I can't help you. And I could never stand not being able to help you.” Clara ends up meaning to leave the Doctor, but then backtracking, but deciding to deceive Danny, because she, internally, has a sense that she is doing something wrong by not breaking her relationship with the Doctor off. When Danny finds out in “In the Forest of the Night,” he tells her once more, “I just want to know the truth. I don't care what it is. I just want to know it.” He doesn’t leave her. He forgives her, and wants to help her, once again. He just doesn’t want to be lied to. And as we see in “Dark Water,” Clara really would have told him the truth. She is capable of it. 

Danny is not a bad boyfriend. Danny is an incredibly good boyfriend. The problem is that he and Clara are not compatible, and that even as he challenges her, she doesn’t challenge him. He helps her, but he kind of just. Exists to help her. He exists to send her a message, to give her an opportunity to become less like the Doctor, more grounded, more human, but honestly, she’s already too far gone. From “Listen” to “Flatline” to “Dark Water” to “The Girl Who Died” to the culmination of “Face the Raven” and “Hell Bent,” we know that Clara will become the Doctor. I love her for it. I love how she and the Doctor are so evenly matched, how they push each other to be braver, kinder, stronger, but more arrogant and reckless and caught up in one another and their big-scale adventures and saving the universe. All things that don’t leave them much time to stop and think and stay. 

At the end of “In the Forest of the Night,” Clara asks Danny to come with her and the Doctor to watch the solar flare, but Danny refuses. He tells her, “I was a soldier. I put myself at risk. I didn't try too hard to survive, but somehow, here I am. And now I can see what I nearly lost. And it's enough. I don't want to see more things. I want to see the things in front of me more clearly. There are wonders here, Clara Oswald. Bradley saying please, that's a wonder. One person is more amazing, harder to understand, but more amazing than universes.” That’s a beautiful philosophy. And it is one that Clara is utterly incapable of adopting at this stage. It’s good for her to hear, and leads her towards compassion, and she respects and admires Danny all the more for it, but she cannot emulate it. She has a sweet moment with him, but then leaves to see the solar flare with the Doctor. Meanwhile, she doesn’t try to persuade Danny otherwise. She doesn’t want to change him. In her eyes, he is perfect already. But that’s the problem. He’s perfect. He’s not really a fully developed character, he’s a symbol, and eventually he’s a motivation. But the Doctor on the other hand…well. He’s harder to understand but more amazing than universes, to Clara. 

That’s not to say that Danny is an uwu softboi. His feats of badassery in “The Caretaker,” “In the Forest of the Night,” and “Death in Heaven” are amazing. I once saw a meme on this very site of Danny and Clara as Clark and Malfina, and you do you, but…I wildly disagree. Danny is not just Some Guy. He is an incredibly self-aware, deeply thoughtful person with a hero’s skill set. He’s just not the type of hero that Clara is, and that the Doctor is. The Doctor Who narrative demands that either he change, or he leave. And for all the messiness of “Death in Heaven,” I am glad that he didn’t change. 

Even in the throes of her “Dark Water” rampage, Clara knows that she’s clinging to Danny as a symbol as well as a man. When she’s talking with Danny’s consciousness at the 3W institute, trying to get him to cooperate with her resurrection attempts, she tells him in desperation, “I have to be with Danny Pink.” Not with you, but with Danny Pink. The name means an entire life, a human life, that she realizes she’s cut ties with, that’s dead in so many ways. It’s selfish of her to see him that way. But it’s also understandable and complex and makes her a better protagonist, not a worse one (so many critiques of Clara are really anger that a female character is as complicated as the Doctor…). And in the end, she has to let him go, and let him die on his terms, repaying his debts. Meanwhile, Clara throws herself more into her Doctor identity than ever. She never attaches herself to another human in quite the same way (flippantly mentioned Jane Austen fling aside). She dies by trying to fill the Doctor’s shoes, by being too compassionate but above all too clever, too arrogant. It’s only when she realizes, once more, that she is mortal that she briefly calls on Danny Pink’s name, his identity to her, the symbol that she has made him into, one last time. 

So um. Yes. I vehemently ship Clara and the Twelfth Doctor. I think Clara and Danny Pink were not compatible. And I love the character of Danny Pink, and I suspect anyone who says that Danny Pink was controlling or caddish of racism and intellectual laziness.

[h-worksrambles]

I’ve been thinking about the Lost Masters arc and where I think the story is going in Kingdom Hearts 4 onwards, so I thought I’d put my general thoughts here. Now I want to preemptively say, this isn’t an in depth theory crafting post. I’m not actually fully up to date on Dark Road. Rather my point is just to look at the end of the Xehanort Saga and ruminate on what seems to make the most sense thematically as a follow up.

I feel the series is building up an overarching theme of failure from 3 onwards. Now I’m not here to either defend or criticise the story of Kingdom Hearts 3 (though maybe I will give my thoughts someday). But as of this game, many of our characters have failed in some way. Sora broke the laws of nature to save his friends, which led him to fade away and effectively die. We’ve raised the idea that Sora considers himself to be nothing without his friends. Now he’s completely separated from them all in a strange new land. Riku, after a multi game arc about gaining power to protect his friends, losing himself in that power, and then maturing and learning to wield it responsibly, ultimately failed. He gained the ‘strength to protect what matters’ but it wasn’t enough to save Kairi, or prevent Sora’s sacrifice. Even as a Keyblade Master, he failed to keep them safe in the final battle. Kairi promised to keep Sora safe, just as he did for her in the past. But ultimately, her best effort wasn’t enough, and he ended up sacrificing himself for her again, the exact opposite of what she wanted. We see in Melody Of Memory that Xehanort still appears in her dreams as a symbol of her failure, a nightmare she can’t overcome. I kinda wish Melody had given us a scene or two of Riku and Kairi comforting each other over their grief and frustration (Nomura, these two are supposed to be best friends let them act like it!), before separating but we’ll let that pass.

This applies to other characters too. Terra, Aqua and Ventus all failed in the past, resulting in their story having a tragic ending. Now they’re finally reunited and as of Remind, they’re heading back into the Realm of Darkness to look for Sora. They have a LOT of shared baggage to unpack now that they’re finally together again. Terra’s guilt over succumbing to darkness, Aqua’s trauma from her long isolation (her own struggle of becoming a Master but still not being able to save her friends almost parallels Riku’s), and Ventus’ forgotten memories. Lea and Isa joined Organisation XIII to save their friend, the enigmatic ‘Subject X’. But they failed to save her and eventually fell to darkness and became Nobodies, even forgetting about why they joined in the first place. Even Mickey, despite being the de facto leader of the Guardians of Light, couldn’t keep these kids safe in the Keyblade War. They’ve all failed and are all licking their wounds.

We’ve also had X, Union Cross and Dark Road. Prequel stories exploring the tragic past of the Keyblade War and of past generations of wielders. The Foretellers who tried and failed to prevent the Keyblade War. The Dandelions trying and failing to rebuild the unions. Xehanort who wanted to make the worlds better but did far more harm then good (I’m still not wild on the clumsy attempts to make Xehanort sympathetic by tacking endless new details onto his backstory but it is at least thematically relevant). These figures all failed in their own efforts to make things better, and now the Foretellers, these tragic symbols of failure, are back in the present day. The Master of Masters, seemingly our new overarching antagonist, watched over both the Foretellers and Xehanort, and didn’t stop them from making those mistakes. It’s not clear what his motives are, but given he can see the future through the No Name I suspect he’ll be a fatalistic character who believes this tragic destiny is inevitable, and so is complicit in bringing them about because he believes the future is set in stone.

My prediction therefore, will be that all of the characters’ stories will be about dealing with their failure and learning from it, rejecting the MoM’s belief that tragedy is inevitable and history is doomed to repeat itself. Sora will deal with the consequences of his actions while he’s in Quadratum, and will prove himself while he’s on his own. His friends make him stronger, but he’ll prove to himself that he’s not worthless alone. Riku will wander through Sleeping Worlds on his journey to find Sora, coming to terms with his failure to protect both him and Kairi, and will ultimately find his best friend and make things right. Kairi will continue training and come into her own. Maybe she’ll even seek out the New Seven Hearts (we still don’t know who half of those are) finally living up to her role as a Princess of Heart. Instead of trying to be catch up to Sora and Riku and be just like them, she’ll thrive in her way. Each of them overcome their hang ups over their failures before they reunite, and heartfelt tears of joy are shed all round. They’ve all overcome their mistakes and grown as people.

I could even see Terra, Aqua and Ventus’ search in the Realm of Darkness getting its own dedicated side game (Nomura has a precedent for that kind of thing). They’ll sort through their lingering baggage from Birth By Sleep’s events and reaffirm their friendship. Aqua will overcome her fear by returning to the place where she once suffered with the help of her friends. Terra will prove to himself that he’s changed for the better by keeping his friends safe. And at some point,Ventus will (somehow) get his Union Cross memories back, coming to terms with his own past (and handily getting part our main cast up to speed on the events of the distant past). If the Lost Masters do end up being villains, then there’s clear symbolic meaning to overcoming these embodiments of the failings of history. Same applies to Darkness. Likewise, defeating the Master of Masters could represent overcoming a cynical adherence to predetermined destiny, by insisting that we can always try to do better. Rejecting fate and all that, very common JRPG ground. The series’ signature focus on friendship will be used to explore how every character learns from and grows past their previous mistakes with the help of their loved ones.

That’s just my vague theory on what new thematic ground and character work the new games could cover. I’m still not quite sure how all the Verum Rex stuff that Nomura has salvaged from Versus XIII is going to come into play, but I’m excited to find out. There’s definitely a chance that I’m giving the writing of Kingdom Hearts too much credit. But I think that, however you felt about 3, the new status quo the Dark Seeker saga ended on has a lot of potential. And I hope it will live up to it, whatever the story ends up being.

[restapesta]

23. Don’t you get it? You’re the only one I can be honest with.

Mickey takes being alone with Ian for granted. He really does.

It's quite sad he only realizes that when he's not alone with his ginger life companion—specifically when he's stuck in a moving car with him and fucking Phillip, feeling like a pussy for not having the guts to just open the door and jump out.

Did Ian put child's lock on his door, what the fuck?

He can't do this. It's a fifteen-minute ride to the Gallagher house and Mickey won't be able to survive it. No fucking way. Why did Ian have to say yes to picking Lip up from work? Did he know what hell he would be putting his poor husband through, huh?

If college bitch says something about his shitty delivery job one more time, he swears to God—

"And you know what the best part about this shitty delivery job is?" No. Please, God, make him stop. "Bathroom? Doesn't even fucking exist,"

If Mickey had a gun, he'd stuff it in his mouth.

From the corner of his eye, Mickey sees Ian's gripping the wheel slightly tighter, his knuckles turning white, his tongue bitten between his slightly clenched teeth. Sadly, only Mickey can see him be so frustrated from the passenger seat. He wishes Lip would lean over from the back and see how fucking annoying he really is with his constant babbling.

Maybe it's good he didn't bring a gun with him—Ian looks like he'd wanna stuff it in his mouth, too.

Does he have child's lock on?

"Anyways," Lip breathes out and Mickey focuses on the buzzing of the AC so he wouldn't have to endure the brainwashing his brother-in-law's—why him?—voice is doing.

Ian seems to be thinking the same thing, his eyes rolling discreetly to the back of his head, staying there for a moment or two.

Mickey's torn between telling him to keep his eyes on the goddamn road or just letting him crash their new car into a pole. At least then they wouldn't have to listen to the yapping that's filling every nook and cranny of the fresh interior.

Their car had never seemed so small. Since when is Mickey so claustrophobic? There used to be so much room.

Oh right, Lip's ego is taking up most of it. How could Mickey forget?

"Oh, yeah," He says suddenly, and Ian and Mickey share a look. What now? Will he ever stop? "I meant to ask you about your meds, Ian. You told me you were visiting your doctor or some shit like that."

Mickey reclines back in his seat, lips pursing as he waits for Ian to fill Lip in on the new prescription and its side effects, and whatever other shit Mickey's already got written down in the notes on his phone from when Ian told him in detail about it.

He had been pretty down when he came home from seeing his doctors, listing off all of the shit he was worried about with the new therapy and adjusting to it. He even had a couple of sleepless nights that resulted in him seeking out different pharmacies to buy sleeping pills, which ultimately led to a night of sleepless vomiting because the cocktail of pills didn't really bode well for Ian's stomach.

Mickey doesn't mind reliving it. Doesn't mind listening to his husband talk about the things important to him and things that Mickey should know about.

And, truthfully, Mickey's already come face to face with the fact that he likes knowing about all of Ian's shit—they're already living, sleeping, and working together, so the prospect of knowing that new meds give Ian diarrhea if they're taken on an empty stomach doesn't really seem like a TMI-type of thing to know.

When Ian's related, nothing and everything is pretty much TMI.

"Oh," Ian responds after a moment of silence. His eyes aren't focused when Mickey turns to look at him. It seems as if he's racking his brain around for the proper words, yet can't seem to find them. Eventually, he just lets out, "Everything's the same. Nothing new."

Mickey knows that's not true.

"Didn't you say you were being put on some new shit?" Lip's confused. Mickey is too.

Ian was put on new shit. Shit that landed him with a week of goddamn exhaustion and a fucked-up stomach.

"No. It's the same."

"Oh," Lip mutters. "Okay then."

And he continues to go into another monologue about why being a delivery boy is such a shitty job to have with a mind of his.

Mickey stares at Ian's side profile for as long as it takes him to turn around and meet his eye. It takes him long—in fact, Mickey's pretty sure Ian won't be turning around any time soon.

Why would he lie? Why would he hide the fact he did change his meds when it's really not that big of a deal?

Mickey's even more confused by it because Ian had ranted about his doctor's appointment the day of it, nearly talking Mickey's ear off. He had been annoyed, relieved, and worried, all at the same time, and the entire Tuesday was just spent with them talking about bipolar like the mundane thing it was.

So, why wouldn't Ian just want to retell that shit again? It wasn't as if he didn't still have frustrations over it. Not like he wouldn't fucking jump on the chance to talk about his biggest concerns the second the opportunity presented itself.

Why then?

Lip's still talking and Ian's still not looking at him.

Mickey places a gentle hand on his thigh, trying to get his attention. In response to Mickey's thumb running over his husband's jeans, Ian just places a hand on top of his, picking it up and raising it to his mouth until the rough skin meets the smoothness of his lips. When he finally looks at him, there's a plead in his eye. An answer to Mickey's unasked question.

Later.

"Ugh, can you guys not do that here? Since when did you become that couple?"

They both ignore the dumbass in the backseat of their car. Ian turns to look ahead, and he pushes his foot down visibly on the gas pedal, and Mickey knows that the time until they're able to drop Lip off is cutting shorter.

"You guys are really annoying with that mind-reading shit, you know that?"

Mickey breathes in deeply.

Five more minutes. Just five more minutes and they'll be alone.

Ian's hand doesn't disentangle from his, but Mickey does move them so they're laying on top of his leg, palms pressed tightly together. He squeezes at it once.

Ian squeezes back.

There's a faint mumble from the back.

"I fucking hate being the third wheel."

Mickey barely stops himself from jumping into Ian's lap, just in spite.

Instead, with his free hand, he just flips him off.

---

They're driving to their place when Mickey finally asks the question. They've been alone for a couple of minutes now, after a prolonged—much to both their dismays—goodbye to Lip in front of the Gallagher house. As soon as it was appropriate to, Ian peeled out of the driveway, putting as much distance between him and his family—his annoying-ass brother—as he possibly could in a record time.

At first, Mickey fiddled with the radio until he landed on some radio station that played pop-shit music, lowering the volume until the Taylor Swift song—he hates that he knows it—was just a hum filling the silence. Ian isn't speaking, but he doesn't seem tense.

He seems just as always, shoulders even further relaxed—slumped, actually, because he has the posture of a question mark—now that Lip is out of the car and in the hands of the others to deal with.

"So," Mickey starts casually when his weirdo of a partner starts singing lowly to Lover on the radio. It's a song they only listen to when they're feeling sappier than usual, but Ian tends to always be sappy, so none of this sweet singing shit was a surprise for Mickey. The lyrics coming out of Ian's mouth still make his chest swell pleasantly, despite him barely holding himself back from rolling his eyes. "What was that?"

"Hm?" Ian's eyes momentarily move to eye Mickey. They go back almost immediately. "What was what?"

"What was that thing with Lip?" The question isn't meant to be judgmental nor accusing. Mickey really is just curious.

It wasn't him whom Ian had lied to. But why did he lie in the first place?

Ian shrugs, lowering the volume with the switch on the wheel even further until they can barely hear the soft voice.

"I just didn't feel like telling him." Is the simple reply.

"Why?"

"Because."

"Ian."

"Mickey—"

"Come on, man, don't give me that bullshit."

"I'm not—I don't," He exhales roughly as if finally forcing himself to admit to something he doesn't want to admit to. "I don't like anybody knowing about it. It's nobody's business but my own."

Mickey makes a face, still confused as fuck. He gets the reasoning behind the words, but it's just not clicking in his brain. Maybe Lip really did brainwash it. "You say you don't like anybody knowing, but you told me."

Ian glances away from the road and sends Mickey the type of look that says he thinks what Mickey just said was the dumbest thing possible. It's incredulous.

"You're not anybody, Mick."

And that's sweet and all, but—

"Lip's not anybody either."

Ian sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, dramatically exasperated. "Don't you get it, Mickey? You're the only one I can be honest with. Completely transparent."

Mickey doesn't know why he's still pushing, but fuck, there's no way. "You can be transparent with Lip. He'll hear you out, give you advice. Won't judge you." Why is he defending Lip again? "I'm not the only one who understands."

"Yeah, but you're the only one who isn't annoying about it. If I wanted Lip to know, I would've called him straight away. But instead, I talked to you. Mickey, you're a dumbass if you don't see that you're the only one I want to tell."

Well fuck.

Mickey blinks. He actually is a dumbass, but that's already been genetically proven. This is something else.

Mickey feels Ian's words deep in his chest. His heart jumps to his throat—it's one of the best things Ian could've said to him. It doesn't feel fucking real.

"Really?" He asks pathetically. It's not like Ian would lie; he's always had a knack for saying everything that's on his mind. Mickey loves that about him right now. It's just that—Mickey? He wants to tell Mickey about it and nobody else?

Ian smiles at him. "Really, babe," Mickey blushes as the nickname. "You know just how many questions to ask. When to listen and when to talk. When to give me advice and when to tell me to get out of my own head." Ian's eyebrows furrow. "Lip doesn't know how to do that. Not like you—"

No. Mickey will not cry. No. It's just eyeball sweat.

"—With you, I know that I can say whatever is on my mind and won't feel like shit about it. It's fucking liberating, having somebody like that."

Mickey breathes in deeply. Fuck Ian for using his words like this and making his heart squeeze impossibly. Why is he so fucking perfect all the fucking time?

How did Mickey get so fucking lucky?

"Yeah," He responds dumbly, out of breath—because it legit is logged up in his throat at the moment. He clears it. "I guess that's what best friends are for."

And the grin Ian sends him in response to the sheepishly-said sentence is enough to make butterflies explode inside Mickey's belly—ugh, no, he's supposed to be past that stage, for fuck's sake.

Ian's still grinning as Mickey's whole face probably turns the shade of Ian's favorite vegetable—maybe that's why Ian likes it when Mickey blushes—and he has to avert his gaze so he doesn't go even redder than Ian's hair.

"Best friends? I feel honored, Mick."

"Shut up."

"No, for real."

"Shut up."

Ian laughs and spares Mickey the embarrassment by raising the volume up on the radio, the song now booming loudly through the space.

Ian glances over at Mickey right as he starts singing it joyfully, a wide smile on his face. This is the Ian Mickey knows and loves—happy Ian.

Mickey's favorite Ian after the horny one.

Mickey's chest swells with pride. He ended up with Ian. The Ian who loves him unconditionally; who knows just the right to say and when to say it; who just told him Mickey's the only one he can be real with.

I can only be honest with you, too. He wants to tell him. I only am honest with you.

Instead of saying the words, he starts singing himself, and the screeching voices of two men stupidly in love are seeping out of the slightly opened windows, the wind whooshing them away.

I can only do this with you, Mickey thinks. I'm only this free with you.

Judging by the way Ian's smiling, Mickey guesses he's thinking the same thing, too.

"Darling, you're my, my, my, my lover."

[catgrassplantdad]

There are few fictional relationships that make me feel more unhinged than Mickey & Terry. And I’m sure it’s been dissected to death, but I think about their confrontation at the beginning of 10x11 a lot and it makes me feel extremely. So here I am to talk about why. CW: abuse and homophobia below the cut (I mean, it’s Terry).

I don’t think I need to give a history lesson here, but the abuse and violence Mickey endured by Terry’s hand unfortunately shaped a lot of Mickey’s life. Mickey didn’t take forever to be comfortable and open with Ian because he wanted to, he didn’t marry a woman because he wanted to, he didn’t live a lie for so long because he wanted to. This all happened because he actually, literally feared for his life. Additionally, there was the complicated fact of him starving and striving for his abuser’s approval. He wanted more than just bodily safety; he wanted to be in good standing with Terry. This is despite enduring what he described as torture. Terry “tortured [him] every day for years,” and yet he still desired a relationship with him. This happens sometimes in abusive relationships, it’s definitely not unusual that he felt that way. But it’s still hard to watch, knowing about their background and knowing that Mickey was aware of what Terry was capable of.

Mickey knowing what Terry was capable of is precisely why their interaction at the beginning of 10x11 made me go “yooooo” out loud at my TV at the end of the scene. I had to pause it, my eyes were bugging out of my head, I had to let it sink in, etc. etc. It really struck me hard. Mickey heard Terry shouting slurs at him from outside on the damn sidewalk where anyone could hear, and he put on an unamused look and stepped outside and walked right up to him. Terry pulled out a gun, and Mickey did not even flinch and instead pulled out one of his own. He listened to his father berate and then threaten him, and instead of backing down he proceeded to do the opposite of what he had done his whole life and deliberately said shit that would piss Terry off. And on top of it, he then went back into the house and started planning his big gay wedding with specific details designed to make Terry mad. He wanted to rub his happiness, his gay love, in that prick’s face. And he begins this endeavor with that line “I definitely love one.”

There’s an important detail in that exchange (“You must really love cock.” “I definitely love one.”) that is what ultimately elevates this scene from merely insanity-inducing to "Jessie will never be normal about this ever in their entire life," and that’s Mickey’s wording. It’s such a good comeback and it hits so hard, but it’s important that it also hits Terry hard. And it does, because he used language that Terry understood. I think if he had phrased it differently by saying something like “I just love Ian” or “I’m just in love” or something similar, it wouldn’t have landed the same with Terry. Terry had taken Mickey’s gayness and reduced it to something so base and vulgar because he hates gay people and doesn’t care to know shit about the gay experience. And instead of throwing his gay love in Terry’s face by using language that’s less horrendously offensive, Mickey fucking embraces it. Mickey takes Terry’s words and twists them to suit himself and throws them back at him. Mickey’s gay and he loves cock, and he definitely loves his partner’s cock. You know, his partner? Who he’s in love with? And gonna marry? Because the gay experience isn’t just about sex? Mickey’s not getting married because he wants to get fucked, he’s getting married because he’s in love. Terry doesn’t give a shit about all that and Mickey knows this, so his comeback utilizes language that Terry can wrap his head around, but he still manages to convey the fact that he’s in fucking love with one person. It’s affirmation and ownership and it is so badass. Terry was actively trying to be cruel and Mickey threw back at him in one of the most elegant comebacks I have ever seen. And yeah, we know Mickey is capable of being vulgar as hell, so it’s not like saying something like this is particularly out of character for him anyway. It just worked so damn well in accomplishing the goal of getting Terry to shut the fuck up while conveying to Terry and the audience that he’s in love and willing to engage in risky behavior to defend it.

I mean, he was doing all this with a gun in his face. Terry wanted him to feel fear, he wanted him to feel threatened because he genuinely thought that Mickey deserved to experience violence, and he wanted him to feel ashamed. But Mickey decided years ago that he was done feeling fucking ashamed, and he was so accustomed to Terry’s violent behavior. So whether he stood up to him with a gun in his face because he was desensitized to Terry’s violence or because he just decided to be brave and ignore whatever fear he may have been feeling in that moment, either reason speaks volumes. If he did it because he was desensitized to Terry’s violence then that really speaks to the tragedy of his upbringing. If he did it because he just decided to be brave in that moment then that speaks to just how much he was willing to risk for his principles. Either way, he could’ve ended up dead. We know this because Terry does end up trying to shoot him in the end. And yes, Mickey had his gun aimed at Terry, but I don’t know if I think he’d actually shoot him and I think his actions towards Terry in season 11 may speak to that. But Terry would shoot. And he does shoot later on. Again, he knew what Terry is capable of. And he stood up to him anyway and it was amazing to watch. Mickey used to be so afraid of Terry that he feared for his life while vying for approval. He used to live in a way that was the very antithesis of what he actually wanted for himself, just for his piece of shit father. And in this scene he shows us just how far removed he is from that fearful kid now, openly in love with his partner and standing up to his father in a way that will expressly make him angry about his gayness specifically, the thing that he was so tortured over in his youth. Tortured because he was hiding out of fear and the internal conflict that he experienced because of that, and then physically and emotionally tortured by his father once he’s found out. That abuse may have shaped his past, but he was ready to move the fuck on and not let it define his future. So this scene is just unreal. A neat little package of character and relationship/dynamic development in a little 70-second scene that packs an enormous punch.

[gardenerian]

hi mel! so i'm watching shameless for the first time. i knew the ian and mickey story beforehand but i've gotten it out of context essentially. basically, i'm on s8 right now and i feel bad that i don't like trevor.

although, we know who ian ends up with. trevor seems important and i feel bad for not liking him solely because he isn't mickey. i think there's other reasons why i might not like him but i can't articulate them. i tend to just skip their scenes but sometimes i don't and idk i'm having conflicted feelings?

i'm questioning, was trevor better for ian than mickey? i know the answer to that question but i'm questioning my answer if that makes sense.

i'm sorry for this ramble & if you don't like this particular discourse. i hope you've been having a good tuesday mx. mel :)

hi love! sorry for taking a billion years on this. i hope you are enjoying the show 💓 i wish i could go back and watch it for the first time! it's a special thing. and welcome!

whew. you are on season 8! you are a trooper. it's without a doubt my least favorite season, but there are still some good stories to be told if you push through! i can usually defend the mickey-less seasons as still worth it, but s8 definitely puts that to the test.

now! onto your dilemma. i totally understand you. you picked a very interesting blog to pose this question to! i am one of the few that doesn't completely dislike trevor. but! i maintain that you do not have to like him. i absolutely get why people don't. some of the hate does not make total sense to me - and some of it gets a little squicky for me. but. he is an underdeveloped character, and it think it was a huge waste. i think he could have been much better utilized! had they written this story better, i think he could have been a much bigger and positive addition to the show/ian's trajectory. but i still agree that he serves a purpose! and ultimately, i do not dislike him as much as i disliked caleb.

but - just because i like trevor (like is a strong word... really, the idea of him?) does not at all mean i think he was good for ian. the timing of that relationship was bad, the ultimate plot was bad, and the way he left was bad. i just. gah. i see potential that was squandered and i can't bring myself to write him off completely. THAT SAID. a big, emphatic no to him being better for ian than mickey. mickey sees ian in a way that caleb and trevor never really attempted. they are cut from the same cloth and they love each other unconditionally. even without their deep and intimate shared history, foundational as it is, they are better together.

so. i do not dislike trevor solely because he isn't mickey, but mickey in his own right is clearly easier to love. we know him! we love him for himself and as a brilliant partner for ian. so i totally get your struggle - it is a very tough storyline to get through. you never have to watch anything that you don't vibe with! there are some cringy moments that i tend to bypass as well. they do not bring out the best in each other, especially in s8. had they ended in s7, i'd understand it a little more. ANYWAYS. sorry for my own rambles. your thoughts are valid! and you never have to justify not liking a character. sometimes they just don't vibe! and that's okay 💓